Please read the following letter from
The Natural Alternative's Sole owner,
Liz Meadows.
If you are trying to redeem a gift certificate,
please submit the form following this letter.
Dated: 06/04/2020
To My Valued Clients,
On March 13th I left the office like any other Friday, looking forward to the weekend ahead. That weekend the whisperings of COVID-19 were quickly becoming louder and I, like many other business owners, realized I was going to have to formulate a plan to keep you and me safe from this virus. The plan progressed swiftly from implementing extra sanitation procedures, to adding an extra health questionnaire for each appointment, to a realization that no matter the plan I implemented, I simply could not unequivocally protect us all.
The only choice was to shut my doors until it blew over. It was a terrifying decision to make. I didn’t know how long that might be. I didn’t know how long I would be without income. I didn’t know the length of time some of you would have to endure different ailments, injury and discomfort, or at what point you might regress from the progress we had made on different issues. A week stretched into a month, and then two, and kept going. Different factors came into play; “Stay at Home” orders were issued, almost every business was closed, and new symptoms of the virus kept cropping up.
Toward the end of April I read an article, about COVID-19 patients’ symptoms, that got my attention and made me delve into any piece of research I could get my hands on. The virus appeared to be causing blood clots. For those of you who may not know, blood clots are the number one red flag for Massage Therapists. They are contraindicated for massage because massage can potentially dislodge a clot causing heart attack, embolism or stroke. I see how it may appear that we just make you feel good, but a professional, educated, licensed Massage Therapist does much more. The most important thing we can do is NOT work on a client when it could cause harm.
The research I was uncovering regarding blood clots, was very impactful to me. I dug through every reputable source I could find. They were all saying the same thing - this virus is more than the flu or pneumonia. This virus is affecting the blood. People can be asymptomatic (showing no signs or symptoms) and die from heart attack, stroke or embolism due to the virus. Please understand, I am not one to take opinion as fact. I do not react without thought and I will not be a part of fear-mongering or manipulating others’ emotions. I encourage you to read this article from my professional organization. It references many of the articles and information I discovered in my research.
The potential of causing harm to any one of you, by literally putting my hands on you, is simply too much of a risk. I cannot do the good work I have done for you in the past with that hanging over me. The concern of passing the virus is one thing, the potential of causing death, is over the top. Therefore, my personal morals, ethics and the amount of stress I am willing to endure, has led to the decision that I am no longer comfortable continuing my massage therapy practice. I will not hold other therapists to these same standards, as I cannot tell ANYONE what to do or how to feel regarding their life or business. I will not tell you what is right for you or your body, or the level of risk you should be comfortable with. Those choices are for you to make freely.
As of June 30th, The Natural Alternative will no longer occupy space in The Maine Grind Building on Main Street in Ellsworth. I am aware that a number of you have gift certificates you were looking forward to redeeming. I will be contacting each of you individually to develop an acceptable solution in that regard. I will also continue to communicate with the same phone number (207.619.1898) and monitor the email address (liz.meadows@nat-alt.com) as always.
I have had a lengthy and fulfilling career as a Massage Therapist. I was fortunate to love what I did for seventeen years. Putting a sudden end to it, not entirely of my choosing, is heartbreaking. I have been mourning the loss since I first put it in to words. I have also been realistic - I am creative. I am capable. I am a competent businesswoman. I can, and will adapt.
I have many interests outside of massage and this is an opportunity for me to pursue those. My optimistic self says, “There’s nothing like the end of one career to kick-start another!” So, in July, I will be starting a sewing business, called “Sew Rugged”, focusing mainly on heavy-duty stitching; repairing, mending, designing – anything that requires an industrial sewing machine. My favorite thing is repurposing Carhartt®-type workwear, but I’m interested in the other projects the machine will enable through the use of heavy-duty materials like canvas, leather, vinyl, and upholstery fabric. I have always loved the problem solving involved with being your Massage Therapist and I am excited to use those skills in this new venture.
This pandemic passing will come with many changes, and while we may not like all of them, we will be okay. I am going to miss you. I already do. I hope that many of you will be open to developing a new relationship with me when I am no longer your Massage Therapist. I wish nothing but the very best for you all. Thank you for putting your trust in my hands all these years. YOU made it possible for me to love my job and I cannot express the gratitude I have for having met and worked with you.
With Gratitude and Hope for the Future,
Liz Meadows
To My Valued Clients,
On March 13th I left the office like any other Friday, looking forward to the weekend ahead. That weekend the whisperings of COVID-19 were quickly becoming louder and I, like many other business owners, realized I was going to have to formulate a plan to keep you and me safe from this virus. The plan progressed swiftly from implementing extra sanitation procedures, to adding an extra health questionnaire for each appointment, to a realization that no matter the plan I implemented, I simply could not unequivocally protect us all.
The only choice was to shut my doors until it blew over. It was a terrifying decision to make. I didn’t know how long that might be. I didn’t know how long I would be without income. I didn’t know the length of time some of you would have to endure different ailments, injury and discomfort, or at what point you might regress from the progress we had made on different issues. A week stretched into a month, and then two, and kept going. Different factors came into play; “Stay at Home” orders were issued, almost every business was closed, and new symptoms of the virus kept cropping up.
Toward the end of April I read an article, about COVID-19 patients’ symptoms, that got my attention and made me delve into any piece of research I could get my hands on. The virus appeared to be causing blood clots. For those of you who may not know, blood clots are the number one red flag for Massage Therapists. They are contraindicated for massage because massage can potentially dislodge a clot causing heart attack, embolism or stroke. I see how it may appear that we just make you feel good, but a professional, educated, licensed Massage Therapist does much more. The most important thing we can do is NOT work on a client when it could cause harm.
The research I was uncovering regarding blood clots, was very impactful to me. I dug through every reputable source I could find. They were all saying the same thing - this virus is more than the flu or pneumonia. This virus is affecting the blood. People can be asymptomatic (showing no signs or symptoms) and die from heart attack, stroke or embolism due to the virus. Please understand, I am not one to take opinion as fact. I do not react without thought and I will not be a part of fear-mongering or manipulating others’ emotions. I encourage you to read this article from my professional organization. It references many of the articles and information I discovered in my research.
The potential of causing harm to any one of you, by literally putting my hands on you, is simply too much of a risk. I cannot do the good work I have done for you in the past with that hanging over me. The concern of passing the virus is one thing, the potential of causing death, is over the top. Therefore, my personal morals, ethics and the amount of stress I am willing to endure, has led to the decision that I am no longer comfortable continuing my massage therapy practice. I will not hold other therapists to these same standards, as I cannot tell ANYONE what to do or how to feel regarding their life or business. I will not tell you what is right for you or your body, or the level of risk you should be comfortable with. Those choices are for you to make freely.
As of June 30th, The Natural Alternative will no longer occupy space in The Maine Grind Building on Main Street in Ellsworth. I am aware that a number of you have gift certificates you were looking forward to redeeming. I will be contacting each of you individually to develop an acceptable solution in that regard. I will also continue to communicate with the same phone number (207.619.1898) and monitor the email address (liz.meadows@nat-alt.com) as always.
I have had a lengthy and fulfilling career as a Massage Therapist. I was fortunate to love what I did for seventeen years. Putting a sudden end to it, not entirely of my choosing, is heartbreaking. I have been mourning the loss since I first put it in to words. I have also been realistic - I am creative. I am capable. I am a competent businesswoman. I can, and will adapt.
I have many interests outside of massage and this is an opportunity for me to pursue those. My optimistic self says, “There’s nothing like the end of one career to kick-start another!” So, in July, I will be starting a sewing business, called “Sew Rugged”, focusing mainly on heavy-duty stitching; repairing, mending, designing – anything that requires an industrial sewing machine. My favorite thing is repurposing Carhartt®-type workwear, but I’m interested in the other projects the machine will enable through the use of heavy-duty materials like canvas, leather, vinyl, and upholstery fabric. I have always loved the problem solving involved with being your Massage Therapist and I am excited to use those skills in this new venture.
This pandemic passing will come with many changes, and while we may not like all of them, we will be okay. I am going to miss you. I already do. I hope that many of you will be open to developing a new relationship with me when I am no longer your Massage Therapist. I wish nothing but the very best for you all. Thank you for putting your trust in my hands all these years. YOU made it possible for me to love my job and I cannot express the gratitude I have for having met and worked with you.
With Gratitude and Hope for the Future,
Liz Meadows
